Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact the Minister is here. Austerity is finished and prosperity is becoming the new word in budgeting, projections and planning. I take issue with some of the comments, particularly from the Opposition benches. I welcome the fact that we have statements around the capital plan. On the day the Government announced a prudent and purposeful investment of €27 billion to better the State for the people, with no Bertie bowls or follies, the three Opposition party leaders, in their wisdom, could not even bring themselves to discuss it during Leaders' Questions. The Government is to invest €27 billion plus an additional €15 billion, which brings it up to €42 billion. This is an unimaginable feat for a Government that, four and a half years ago, faced into a wind that told us we were the fastest contracting economy in Europe. We are now the fastest growing economy not just in Europe but in the developed world, a far cry from where we started.

I will focus on what has been achieved in my area. I thank the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, for being prudent and purposeful in every step he has taken to ensure that issues, topics and plans that were not for the betterment of society have not made it into the plan. The amount of money that will be spent will be large but will be spread across the regions. In my area I thank my fellow Kerryman, Deputy Brendan Griffin, for help around some of the projects. He is an ardent supporter of the Macroom bypass. I also thank my Fine Gael colleague in Cork, Deputy Michael Creed, who also placed a particular emphasis on it. While many would say the Kerry people built the Cork and Kerry mountains to keep the Cork people out, we are building a road to bring them in and out now so that we can get a few tourists from it.

I would like to acknowledge that County Kerry has not enjoyed the uplift experienced in counties like Dublin, Galway and Cork in areas like tourism, energy, engineering, agribusiness and micro-enterprises. We need improvements in road and broadband infrastructure. As my colleague, Deputy Hannigan, has mentioned, some €275 million is to be spent on broadband. As she is responsible for rural affairs, I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, will agree it is wonderful that we will be able to conduct business in a modern fashion as a result of this development. Would she believe it is being done as we speak, at the back of the house we are renting? Our electricity was turned off today for the purposes of putting the cables through. This shows that the plan is being put into action.

We have built over 300 schools during our time in government. The growth in our population is greater than that of any other country in Europe. This means we have to build new schools so that children will be able to find schools. This is a core principle of the Labour Party. It is one that we are very happy to be involved in as we go forward. It is correct to plan for what needs to be done over the next five years to develop hospitals, roads and sports capital projects. It is not all about the simplistic infrastructure parts - it is also about people having a standard of life and enjoying football, rugby and hurling clubs and everything that goes with such activities.

I wish to mention the extension of the Institute of Technology, Tralee, a project on which I have worked exceptionally hard. I thank the president of the college and his staff who assisted with this project, particularly Dr. Oliver Murphy, Bríd McElligott and Ogie Moran. Over a number of meetings in recent years, they helped me to convey to the Minister, Deputy Howlin, the importance of this facility, which will facilitate the provision of the only UNESCO chair for disabilities in the country. In addition, it will provide a home for CARA in County Kerry and the centre of excellence of Kerry GAA. It will also be a place where Irish culture can be celebrated on Saturday mornings, when 300 or 400 people will be able to come through the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann facility. We were not in a position to fund projects of this nature over the past number of years, but we are able to do so now.

The Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, will hear me waxing lyrical forever and a day about the development of simple infrastructure like cycle ways as part of the development of a better standard of living. Deputies will have heard me talking about the Tralee to Fenit route, which I expect to see developed under this plan. I assume the local authority will be in a position to accept any money that is offered for these purposes on this occasion, unlike the last time it was offered. That will enable this project to be developed for the betterment of everybody who favours projects of this nature. I am sorry I am short on time. There is a great deal in this €42 billion plan. As a House, we should welcome this good news. It is not unambitious; it is prudent and purposeful.

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